India vs Australia: Here's why MS Dhoni will not attend Ranchi Test — REVEALED

New Delhi: It will be a red letter day for Ranchi when JSCA International Stadium host the its first Test match next week. But the India-Australia 3rd Test match will not see Jharkhand's greatest son Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the stands.

This was revealed by PN Singh, the manager of the Jharkhand cricket team. And the reason, Jharkhand's Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Vidarbha.

"Our team arrived in Delhi and Dhoni is flying in a day later. We have a knockout match against Vidarbha on 15th and a semifinal on 17th. We are confident of reaching the semifinal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and hence Dhoni's presence at the Ranchi stadium is "unlikely", PN Singh was quoted as saying in various news reports.

The India-Australia match will begin on March 16, and unlike the previous two matches, the Ranchi encounter is expected to last all five days.

Meanwhile, Dhoni was recently seen visiting the stadium and studying the nature of the pitch. But he refrained from giving any comment, rightly so.

Early this year, Dhoni stepped down as the captain of Indian limited overs' sides. But he has since joined the state side, and playing domestic limited overs tournaments.